ITV

Tag: cable MSO

  • DEN Networks tops as most attractive Cable TV brand: TRA Research

    DEN Networks tops as most attractive Cable TV brand: TRA Research

    DEN Networks Ltd, one of the largest cable MSOs in India, is the top cable brand according to the “Most Attractive Brands 2017” report by Trust Research Advisory (TRA), a brands insight company. S.N. Sharma, CEO, DEN Networks said, “We are delighted to be recognised as the most attractive Cable TV brand in the country by TRA. This recognition reflects our enduring efforts to fulfill customer satisfaction and quality service. As a dynamic and technologically driven company, we have been the leading innovator in the digital cable TV industry in India. From being the first national MSO to launch its own OTT app – DEN TV+ to launching premium international gaming service “DEN Playin’ TV” on our network and introducing special HD Set-top box with accessories to enjoy audio and video streaming over internet on non-smart TVs, our initiatives have been aimed at delighting our customers, attuned to their changing preferences and lifestyle needs. We hope to cement our leadership position by continually redefining and improving the industry benchmarks in TV viewing experience.”

    ‘Most Attractive Brands’ is an annual study conducted by TRA. The rankings are based on a primary research conducted across 16 Indian cities among 2,456 consumers. The study generated nearly 5 million data points and 5,000 unique brands mentions of which 1000 brands are listed in the list. The research is based on TRA’s proprietary 36-attribute Attractiveness Matrix.

  • MIB favours switching to DTH if consumers have problems with MSOs or LCOs

    NEW DELHI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has said that HITS (Head-end In The Sky), private DTH and DD FreeDish are the options in remote rural areas while discussing the issue of the concerns expressed by operators that over 20 per cent of rural and remote areas were not financially and technically viable.

    DTH operators were advised by MIB to pay special attention to such area enabling customers in these areas to readily adopt these services given by them and to explore the possibility of cost effective packages especially for these remote and inaccessible areas.

    About the issue of sharing infrastructure cost with MSOs & Local Cable Operators (LCOs) keeping in mind high cost of providing signals in remote areas, the Ministry said it felt consumers have the option to take services from DTH operators and/or DD Free Dish and it may not be administratively feasible by the Ministry to share cost for infrastructure as a large number of MSOs and LCOs are operating in these areas.

    MeITY to solve problems relating to STB manufacturers

    A Parliamentary Committee was told that the Electronics and IT (MeitY) Ministry was attempting to address the entire value-chain holistically and was in active consultation with the concerned Ministries in view of the demands by the Association of domestic STBs manufacturers of long term financing to the MSOs and 0% import duty with effect from 1 January 2016 under India-ASEAN FTA which has also adversely affected the production of domestic STBs.

    The Committee noted that though there was no stay now after all cases relating to Phase III were transferred to the Delhi High Court, the cut-off date was extended “due to poor seeding of STBs because of the uncertainty caused due to the court cases.”

    Under-utilisation of funds due to market uncertainty

    It was also noted that Rs 50 million was allocated at budget estimate stage 2016-17 which was reduced to Rs 30 million at Revised estimates 2016-17 due to the large number of court cases filed in various High Courts and “total uncertainty in the market” about the implementation of cut-off date of 31 December 2015 & 31 December 2016 for Phase III and Phase IV of digitisation respectively.

    As a result, workshops with the nodal officers could not be conducted, which resulted in the underutilisation of funds from the projections made at BE stage.

  • TDSAT recalls attachment proceedings against MSO Sadhna Media

    TDSAT recalls attachment proceedings against MSO Sadhna Media

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal has recalled its order of attachment of properties of Sadhna Media Pvt Ltd after Siti Cable Network Ltd confirmed that the demand draft of Rs 26,87,793 handed over to it last month was in full and final settlement of a case pending since 2013.

    Consequently members B B Srivastava and A K Bhargava also disposed of the execution application.

    Sadhna Group is a media and broadcast business conglomerate, running multiple television channels and engaged in varied businesses of media, education, advertising, medical, mining and aviation, based in New Delhi.

    Siti Networks Limited (Siti Cable Network) is a part of the Essel Group, which is one of India’s leading business houses with a diverse portfolio. Being India’s one of the most prominent multi-system operators (MSO), Sit is reaching a billion people.

    In an order on 17 January 2017, the tribunal also directed that District Judge, Central District, Tis Hazari, Delhi, and District Judge, Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, UP, may be informed about this order.

    The tribunal had passed the attachment order on 8 September 2016 after it was informed that despite an agreement on 22 April 2014, the MSO had failed to make any payment to Siti Cable. The details of the case can be had from the TDSAT website.

    Following this, the tribunal had asked Siti Cable on 30 April 2014 to withdraw its petition. However, Siti Cable filed a fresh application last year seeking attachment of the properties of the MSO — Sadhna Media.

    The evolution of the Sadhna Group can be traced to its beginning in 1977 as a small advertising agency. Apart from audio-visual programming and broadcasting, the group has varied business interests in the allied areas of television media – Sadhna/Sadhna News/Ishwar channels, advertising – print/outdoor, etc.

    It was in September, 2016, an execution application (E.A.) was filed by the petitioner decree holder, Siti Cable Network, for realisation of the decretal amount of Rs.18,53,650/- in terms of order of the tribunal dated 30.4.2014.

    Siti Cable Network and the respondent judgement debtor Sadhna Media Pvt. Ltd. concluded a settlement agreement before the Mediation Centre of the TDSAT on 22.4.2014. The terms of the settlement were as under: That it has been agreed by and between the parties that the respondent shall pay an amount of Rs. 18,53,650/- to the petitioner in full and final settlement of all dues. That the above amount shall be paid by the respondent in six equal monthly installments of Rs.3,08,942/- each commencing from 30 April, 2014, by way of a cheque/demand draft.

  • TDSAT recalls attachment proceedings against MSO Sadhna Media

    TDSAT recalls attachment proceedings against MSO Sadhna Media

    NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal has recalled its order of attachment of properties of Sadhna Media Pvt Ltd after Siti Cable Network Ltd confirmed that the demand draft of Rs 26,87,793 handed over to it last month was in full and final settlement of a case pending since 2013.

    Consequently members B B Srivastava and A K Bhargava also disposed of the execution application.

    Sadhna Group is a media and broadcast business conglomerate, running multiple television channels and engaged in varied businesses of media, education, advertising, medical, mining and aviation, based in New Delhi.

    Siti Networks Limited (Siti Cable Network) is a part of the Essel Group, which is one of India’s leading business houses with a diverse portfolio. Being India’s one of the most prominent multi-system operators (MSO), Sit is reaching a billion people.

    In an order on 17 January 2017, the tribunal also directed that District Judge, Central District, Tis Hazari, Delhi, and District Judge, Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, UP, may be informed about this order.

    The tribunal had passed the attachment order on 8 September 2016 after it was informed that despite an agreement on 22 April 2014, the MSO had failed to make any payment to Siti Cable. The details of the case can be had from the TDSAT website.

    Following this, the tribunal had asked Siti Cable on 30 April 2014 to withdraw its petition. However, Siti Cable filed a fresh application last year seeking attachment of the properties of the MSO — Sadhna Media.

    The evolution of the Sadhna Group can be traced to its beginning in 1977 as a small advertising agency. Apart from audio-visual programming and broadcasting, the group has varied business interests in the allied areas of television media – Sadhna/Sadhna News/Ishwar channels, advertising – print/outdoor, etc.

    It was in September, 2016, an execution application (E.A.) was filed by the petitioner decree holder, Siti Cable Network, for realisation of the decretal amount of Rs.18,53,650/- in terms of order of the tribunal dated 30.4.2014.

    Siti Cable Network and the respondent judgement debtor Sadhna Media Pvt. Ltd. concluded a settlement agreement before the Mediation Centre of the TDSAT on 22.4.2014. The terms of the settlement were as under: That it has been agreed by and between the parties that the respondent shall pay an amount of Rs. 18,53,650/- to the petitioner in full and final settlement of all dues. That the above amount shall be paid by the respondent in six equal monthly installments of Rs.3,08,942/- each commencing from 30 April, 2014, by way of a cheque/demand draft.

  • TRAI regulations threaten investment, warns CASBAA

    TRAI regulations threaten investment, warns CASBAA

    MUMBAI: CASBAA, the Association of Asia’s pay-TV Industry, today warmly applauded the judicial review now under way in India of proposed extension and tightening of India’s pay-TV rate regulations.

    The Madras High Court is currently reviewing the clash between the rights of copyright owners around the world and new tariff regulations proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The court has ordered the TRAI not to give effect to the rules until the underlying issues are considered, with a hearing now set for January 19th.

    CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter observed that the new rules would be a major negative factor for the business environment in the $17 billion Indian media industry. “India’s pay-TV regulations have long been among the strictest in the world”, he said. “The proposed new rules are highly intrusive and would make the environment much worse. Such a heavy-handed regulatory regime will inevitably hit foreign companies’ interest in investing in India.”

    Indian law gives copyright owners the ability to price and sell their creative works. In filing the Madras suit, the petitioner broadcasting organizations denounced the TRAI regulation as contrary to these principles as enshrined in the law, and in international treaties to which India is a signatory. (The TRAI rules would establish a controlled price regime by mandating a la carte channel supply, setting the ceiling, by specific genres, that broadcasting organizations can charge to multichannel program distributors, limiting discounts, prescribing carriage fees, and stipulating a compulsory distribution fee to be paid by Broadcasting Organizations to multichannel program distributors.

    CASBAA has long expressed concern about India’s previous rate regulations, which included a cable retail price freeze imposed in 2004 “until the market became more competitive” and never revoked.

    “Today, India’s television content market is among the most competitive in the world,” said Slaughter. “Modern cable MSOs, six different DTH platforms and now online OTT television are all giving Indian consumers a wide range of viewing options.”

    CASBAA’s Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros observed that “As convergence and greater competition sweep the TV economy, other governments around the world are eliminating rate controls, to give more scope to competition among traditional and new online providers. In the last few years, Korea and Taiwan have both undertaken to liberalize their pay-TV price controls, leaving India as the last market economy in Asia with a hyper-regulatory regime. The proposed new rules would take India in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.

  • TRAI regulations threaten investment, warns CASBAA

    TRAI regulations threaten investment, warns CASBAA

    MUMBAI: CASBAA, the Association of Asia’s pay-TV Industry, today warmly applauded the judicial review now under way in India of proposed extension and tightening of India’s pay-TV rate regulations.

    The Madras High Court is currently reviewing the clash between the rights of copyright owners around the world and new tariff regulations proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The court has ordered the TRAI not to give effect to the rules until the underlying issues are considered, with a hearing now set for January 19th.

    CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter observed that the new rules would be a major negative factor for the business environment in the $17 billion Indian media industry. “India’s pay-TV regulations have long been among the strictest in the world”, he said. “The proposed new rules are highly intrusive and would make the environment much worse. Such a heavy-handed regulatory regime will inevitably hit foreign companies’ interest in investing in India.”

    Indian law gives copyright owners the ability to price and sell their creative works. In filing the Madras suit, the petitioner broadcasting organizations denounced the TRAI regulation as contrary to these principles as enshrined in the law, and in international treaties to which India is a signatory. (The TRAI rules would establish a controlled price regime by mandating a la carte channel supply, setting the ceiling, by specific genres, that broadcasting organizations can charge to multichannel program distributors, limiting discounts, prescribing carriage fees, and stipulating a compulsory distribution fee to be paid by Broadcasting Organizations to multichannel program distributors.

    CASBAA has long expressed concern about India’s previous rate regulations, which included a cable retail price freeze imposed in 2004 “until the market became more competitive” and never revoked.

    “Today, India’s television content market is among the most competitive in the world,” said Slaughter. “Modern cable MSOs, six different DTH platforms and now online OTT television are all giving Indian consumers a wide range of viewing options.”

    CASBAA’s Chief Policy Officer John Medeiros observed that “As convergence and greater competition sweep the TV economy, other governments around the world are eliminating rate controls, to give more scope to competition among traditional and new online providers. In the last few years, Korea and Taiwan have both undertaken to liberalize their pay-TV price controls, leaving India as the last market economy in Asia with a hyper-regulatory regime. The proposed new rules would take India in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.

  • Reliance Jio appoints Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador

    Reliance Jio appoints Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan will soon be seen as the face of Mukesh Ambani’s telecom services brand Reliance Jio, which is slated for a soft launch next week.

     

    Khan, who earlier endorsed rival telecom brand Airtel, will be present at Reliance Jio’s soft launch on 27 December, which is also the eve of Dhirubhai Ambani’s birth anniversary.

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Reliance Jio will be handing out two lakhs cards to hand-picked ‘privileged’ people as a part of the soft launch. The commercial roll-out of the telecom service is expected by March 2016.

     

    On 27 December, Khan will be unveiling the Reliance Jio brand along with the company’s employees. AR Rahman will also be a part of the launch.

  • No more extensions on CAFs, expect phased switch-offs

    No more extensions on CAFs, expect phased switch-offs

    MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has put its foot down this time on the issue of non collection of customer application forms (CAFs). The decision taken by the regulator is: no more extensions for CAFs in the DAS areas of Mumbai and New Delhi.

    As is known, the meeting between TRAI and leading MSOs was scheduled today. And Indiantelevision.com learns that the regulator has mandated the switch-off of all the non-complying customers.

    “We will be complying with the law of the land” says Hathway Cable CEO Jagdish Kumar. “Starting tomorrow we plan to downgrade all those subscribers who haven‘t submitted the forms. We will only be providing them with free-to-air channels till 15 July and post that we will be disconnecting those who don‘t send in their forms even after that warning completely by switching off their service.”

    The cat and mouse game between the regulator and leading MSOs has finally come to an end. The final decision is: no slack from the local cable operators and customers would be entertained anymore. There is a grace period of five days that the LCOs have to make the final round of collections, post which the switch-offs would commence.

    DEN Networks COO MG Azhar says: “We have collected 86 per cent CAFs in Delhi, but starting tomorrow we will be downgrading the non-complying customers to base packs.”

    The phased switch-offs begin from tomorrow. Apparently, digitisation‘s progress cannot be stalled any further.